Tehran
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Ava Farmehri's "Through the sad wood our corpses will hang"
Flashback to a childhood in Tehran
Iranian-Canadian author Ava Farmehri’s debut novel paints a bleak picture of growing up in Iran after the Islamic Revolution. The book is both a prison novel and a reflection on freedom. Gerrit Wustmann read it for Qantara.de
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Contemporary Iranian literature
Reading outside the box
Mullahs, dictatorship, nuclear conflict – Iran could be reduced to these keywords if one were to rely only on the articles in the daily press. But to really understand a country better, you have to study its literature. And Iranian literature is just as diverse as the country itself. By Gerrit Wustmann
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Book review: Pajand Soleymani's "Immer mit Zucker"
Bittersweet life
In her novel "Immer mit Zucker" Pajand Soleymani creates a surreal world of cinematic images, intellectual discussion and dreamlike transformation. An unusual reading experience distantly reminiscent of the stories of "One Thousand and One Nights". Volker Kaminski read the book
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Sufism in Iran
Finding joy in times of trouble
Islamic mysticism from the Sufi tradition is experiencing a renaissance in Iran – much to the irritation of the Mullahs. In recent years, tensions between Sufis and the orthodoxy have escalated into tangible enmity. By Elisabeth Kiderlen
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The Islamic Republicʹs Jewish minority
Celebrating Sabbath in Iran
Iran is home to the largest Jewish community in the Muslim world. Jan Schneider visited the Jewish Musazadeh family in Tehran to share in their Sabbath celebrations
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Book review: Amir Hassan Cheheltanʹs "Der standhafte Papagei"
History of a revolution
Amir Hassan Cheheltan has spent years publishing articles and novels in German. His latest book "The Steadfast Parrot" has also been published first in German. Though the author himself lives in Tehran, the question remains as to whether it can be released in Iran. By Volker Kaminski
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Interview with Joobin Bekhrad, publisher of "Reorient"
Love-letter to Tehran
Joobin Bekhrad is the founder and editor of "Reorient", a well-known magazine for Middle Eastern arts and culture. Melanie Christina Mohr spoke to the author about art in Iran, rock ʹnʹ roll and his first novella
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Iran′s ″Holy Defence″
Dulce et decorum est...
Iran has many museums dedicated to its rich history. Nevertheless, those places that focus on events during which Iranians and other prominent 'Defenders of Islam' lost their lives, enjoy special status. By Philipp Breu
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Iran and Saudi Arabia:
A plea for Islamic tolerance
The escalating rivalries and animosities between Iran and Saudi Arabia have nothing to do with the Sunni-Shia divide in the Islamic theology, even less with the common fate and destiny of Iranians and Arabs among other nations in the region. An analysis by Hamid Dabashi
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A taxi ride through Tehran
This is a taxi ride like no other: Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi made "Taxi" on a shoestring budget. It not only offers a unique and humorous insight into life in Tehran, but also makes a bold political statement. To mark the film's general release in Germany, Qantara.de brings you a series of photos relating to the film and some stills
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Obituary: Mohammad-Ali Sepanlou
A master of contemporary Iranian letters
Mohammad-Ali Sepanlou was known in his homeland as a critical thinker and "the poet of Teheran". The eminent Iranian poet and literary critic died in Teheran in May at the age of 75. Mitra Khalatbari spoke to Mahmoud Falaki about Sepanlou's life's work
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Book review: "I'm Probably Lost" by Sara Salar
Silent rebellion
Sara Salar's novel was published in Tehran in 2009. It was reprinted four times that year and won several literary awards. However, after 16,000 copies had been sold, the book was banned by the censor. Volker Kaminski read the German translation